


Charles Versus the Universe

by pinkoptics



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Charles Is a Big Dorkface, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Erik is a Sweetheart, M/M, but it's cute, like the biggest dorkface
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-23 00:23:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11978211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkoptics/pseuds/pinkoptics
Summary: Charles is good at many things- proposing scientific theories, conducting research, completing video games in record speed. The only thing he doesn't know how to do is speak to his insanely hot neighbour, Erik Lehnsherr, or prevent his foot from living permanently in his mouth...





	Charles Versus the Universe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JackyJango](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackyJango/gifts).



> This little fic was inspired by a prompt from Jackyjango:
> 
> "If it's not too much to ask can we have some geek Charles ogling his hot new neighbour Erik!?"
> 
> I had too much fun writing this so thank you so much for this prompt!
> 
> A thank you as well to darling [FuryRed](http://archiveofourown.org/users/FuryRed/) for the beta. Read her stuff, it's amazing! Wouldn't ask her to beta otherwise.

As the pile of books that had been in Charles’ arms tumbled down onto the hallway floor, Charles had to wonder what he had done to displease the universe. Whatever it was it must have caused deep, deep offence because the universe punished him every time. Every. Bloody. Time. He watched with detached horror as the books cascaded onto and around the feet of his absolutely unfairly hot new neighbour, Erik Lehnsherr.

_Why me?_

“I’m so sorry!” Charles scrabbled to the ground and began to pick the books back up, but his arms seemed to have developed some kind of book repellent and no sooner had he collected a few of them then they spilled back out of his arms and toward Erik again. Erik, who was shirtless, gorgeous as ever, and wearing sinfully short, running shorts. “Did they- are you hurt?” They were hefty tomes, research for his latest paper. Charles was now eye level with powerfully sculpted thighs and felt that those distracting thighs might have something to do with the way the texts kept slipping out of his arms like water.

Universe - 1. Charles - 0.

"I'm fine. Wunderbar," Erik said as though he somehow knew what his light accent did to Charles' nether regions when he slipped German phrases into his speech.

_Yes you are. Very, very fine._

As Erik crouched down next to him, Charles pushed his eternally-slipping glasses back up his nose. They were awful, thick black frames that were all function and no style. Raven had looked horrified the first time she'd seen them, even as Charles had insisted there was no sense in purchasing over-priced designer frames when he had no intention of wearing them outside of the house. However, as luck would have it, he'd run out of contacts and forgotten to re-order them. Of course, he would run into Erik the one time, the only time, the glasses had crossed the threshold of his apartment door. Erik always bumped into him on the days he looked a mess. Charles was quite sure he belonged on Revenge of the Nerds.

_Hello, my name is Charles. Every time I see you I'm going to make sure I look as unfuckable as possible._

Universe - 2. Charles - 0.

Now, Erik's equally sculpted chest was directly in front of him and covered in a faint sheen of sweat that made Charles think of certain _other_ exertions. Exertions that would put those powerful thighs to good use.

"Charles?"

He blinked, flushing hard, and tried to push away thoughts of Erik pounding something other than the pavement. It was somewhat difficult with Erik practically naked in front of him.

_Not fair. Entirely not fair. I live next door to a Greek God, he lives next door to Leonard bloody Hofstadter. When did my life become the Big Bang Theory? I don't even enjoy the bloody programme._

Erik was piling Charles' books into his arms, making his biceps flex rather appealingly.

"Oh you really don't need to bother, I'll -- "

Erik cut him off. "No bother." He straightened, managing all the books in his arms with an effortlessness that made Charles feel every inch the gawky teenager all the jocks had made fun of in high school. "Just point me in the right direction. Were you headed in or out?"

"In."

Erik stood there, clearly waiting for something, then nodded toward the door to Charles' flat.

_Oh, right, yes, you need me to let you in. Keys. Where are my blasted keys?_

Charles patted each pocket twice, located them in the front left (where they always bloody were) and tried to open the door. The key slotted easily enough into the deadbolt, but wouldn't turn. He jiggled the knob, gently twisted the key back and forth.

Universe - 3. Charles - 0.

_You have two PhDs. Surely you can work a door. You've been opening doors your entire life._

"Um, Charles?"

"Yes?"

_Open open open. Please open. Come on._

"That's not your unit."

_Kill me._

Universe - 4. Charles - 0.

Shifting one door to the right and feeling like a right plonker, Charles managed to unlock the door in one go.

_Huzzah. You're a genius level intellect again. You opened a door._

He began to push it forward to allow them both to enter, but caught sight of his apartment and froze.

_No._

_No no no._

Universe - 5. Charles - 0.

It wasn't that his flat was a mess. Charles wasn't a neat freak, but he kept things clean enough. There was no days-old, half-eaten food stuffs littered disgustingly across surfaces, no dirty underwear strewn haphazardly on the floor, no unattended garbage begging to be thrown out. No, it wasn't that.

Instead, it was the half-finished game of Settlers of Catan on the kitchen table, sat adjacent to a set of unused Dungeon and Dragons game pieces. Then there was the Star Trek: TNG DVDs that were littered across the coffee table. Not forgetting the classroom-sized whiteboard full of scientific nonsense (to the layman) related to his and Hank's latest theory on genetic mutation. Hank had spent the weekend so that they could get some serious work done, but they'd spent just as much time engaged in geekery as they had working.

_Oh dear Lord. My life is an episode of the Big Bang Theory. This isn't happening. That's it. It's official. Erik will never bloody well sleep with me now._

Knowing there was no excuse not to let Erik in, Charles accepted his fate. The universe had won. He pushed the door open all the way and stepped back so that Erik could pass him with his armload of books.

"Where do you want them?"

A cursory survey of the living room / kitchen revealed that the only place with enough room to manage the pile of texts was the coffee table. Charles very much wanted to rush over and sweep up the DVDs before Erik could see them, however that act would completely betray his embarrassment and would do nothing about about the other geeky detritus in the room. Oh, was that an R2-D2 on the shelf? Of course it was.

"The coffee table would be lovely, thank you."

_Even voice. Good show Charles._

Erik's eyes unsurprisingly swept the room as he surveyed it for the aforementioned coffee table and they widened slightly when they settled on the whiteboard.

"You teach at the university, yes?"

"I do."

"In what capacity?" Erik asked as his eyes left the whiteboard and he continued on to the coffee table. Charles was torn between wanting to engage in small talk, therefore keeping Erik around about as long as possible, and giving curt responses so that Erik would leave before he realized there was also a dalek mug on the counter-- Caffeinate!!

"I'm Head of the Genetics Department." That, at least, Charles was damned well proud of. His team was world renowned for their cutting edge research on the X gene. Right up there in status with Harvard for law studies or MIT for engineering. Charles felt, more than saw, that Erik was indeed impressed.

Universe - 5. Charles - 1. Maybe?

Charles was going explain his current research, and hopefully distract from the room's contents, but found he was too slow. Erik had relieved himself of his heavy load and had picked up one of the blasted DVDs.

_Is there anything less cool than being a Trekkie?_

_Probably playing D &D._

Charles tried, surreptitiously, to move between Erik and the kitchen table. However, he needn't have bothered as Erik's eyes were still set on the DVD in his hands. There was a subtle shift in his mind and, without prying, Charles knew from experience that he was lost in thought and, even more likely, memory. He allowed Erik his recollection, feeling light pulses of nostalgia, fondness, and humour, tinged with just an edge of sadness. Charles let it go on a few moments longer before he said, gently, "Erik?"

"My father and I used to watch this." Erik's voice was far away, as though he wasn't talking to anyone in particular, least of all Charles. "He adored the Original Series and was thrilled when Next Generation was released. It arrived on German television a bit later than in America, of course, and it was dubbed." Erik laughed, a short, somewhat brash sound that Charles found rather charming. "Rather terribly, but that became half the fun of watching it together, every Wednesday night. At least until he-- "

It was only then that Erik seemed to realize what he was saying and to whom. He was surprised at himself, visibly shrugging the emotions away, and Charles was amazed at how quickly his mind dealt with them. Even so, there was a residual openness there...

"At any rate," Erik finished, "I don't think I've actually ever seen an episode in English."

"Oh then you must!" Charles seized at the opportunity to lighten the mood but hang on to that openness. "There is no way whoever dubbed Sir Patrick Stewart did him justice. Jean Luc Picard must be appreciated in his native English!"

Erik's brash laugh sounded again.

Universe - 5. Charles - 2?

"Shouldn't that be French?"

Charles had to laugh in return. "If this is how we begin your TNG re-education we are doomed before we even begin."

The next moment was silent for just long enough to make itself noticed.

"We?"

_Oh bollocks. Too soon? No interest in associating with Charles the sexless, nerdy wonder? Am I treading on his father's memory?_

Charles let out a breath.

_In for a penny..._

Without even the slightest bumble, "Yes... we."

Another moment passed that felt entirely too long. At least, that was the case until the corners of Erik's mouth turned up with the beginning of a smile.

"I'd like that. Actually, I think my father would like that. We never... we never got the chance to see it through to the end."

Universe - 5. Charles - 3.

Charles stepped closer to him, near enough that he could have touched Erik, but without crowding his personal space. "The rest of my day is free..." Charles' treacherous, horrid frames chose that moment to slip down to the tip of his nose.

_Lovely seduction technique._

But Erik's smile became slightly wider. He reached up and gently nudged them back in place.

 _Oh_.

"Then, Charles, it sounds like we have a date."

 _OH_.

"However," Erik looked down at his bare torso, "I should probably head back to my apartment and put some clothes on first."

_Must you?_

"Err... Of course. In the meantime, I'll see if I can rustle up some binge-worthy snacks. Popcorn? Crisps? Chocolate? What's your fancy?"

Erik was already moving and Charles was so appreciating the view that he almost missed what Erik said as he slipped out the door, "I have a bit of a sweet tooth."

Grinning like a bloody loon, Charles busied himself with locating biscuits and M&Ms in the cupboard and seeing what he might have in the way of beverages for his guest. For Erik.

_There's something there, yes?_

His ungodly hot neighbour was about to watch _Star_ _Trek_ with him, of all things. Had he been transported into a parallel universe when he wasn't paying attention?

He set out the treats, humming the TNG theme to himself as he did so. Erik wasn't long and he let himself back into Charles' flat as he bustled about.

Charles turned. "I've got-- "

Erik had changed into a tight tee shirt. _Lovely_. And loose fitting sweats. _Also_ _lovely_. But neither was what had stopped Charles short.

Erik was wearing glasses.

Black frames, thinner, and a great deal more stylish than Charles', but similar to his nonetheless.

Charles' grin widened impossibly farther. It was a sign, had to be.

Universe - 5. Charles - infinity.

**Author's Note:**

> I does not matter how long it’s been since I wrote this, every comment is treasured like the gift that it is :). 
> 
> Find me on [tumblr](http://pinkoptics.tumblr.com) for more Cherik!


End file.
